Homegrown art and design as the hallmarks of this South Mumbai apartment by Ashiesh Shah， This is a lockdown house. It started and ended in the lockdown. There is really no upside to being cut off from the rest of the world, a state of being during the pandemic. Everything that was once accessible is suddenly not. But that constraint didn’t restrain Shah’s ability to design the home from scratch. All it took was turning inwards. 

Ashiesh Shah pulled the design for this house together by collaborating with local artisans and brands and leveraging the offerings from his atelier to custom-make this house of four bedrooms, an expansive living room, a professional-grade kitchen, and sea views. 

A Rana begum artwork, Hatsu rug, and potted plant add colour to the otherwise sombre entrance, which has an oak wall and ceiling, and fusana beige flooring. The main door has a metal frame and alabaster panels. 

The homeowners trusted Shah's judgment, and the only things they insisted on were neutral colors and no wood floors. The only thing they were firm on was a neutral palette and no wooden flooring. Apart from that, being art enthusiasts, they wanted me to make sure there was room enough to accommodate more art in the future.” Into this framework, he poured interesting shapes, created a play of materials, used a mix of handmade flooring tiles and marble across the apartment.

From the very minimalist entrance, the build-up in the living room is so subtle as to be unexpected. At once large and intimate, the space is layered with remarkable artworks, curved lines, rounded edges, warm colours, and custom furniture—some made for this house and some pieces from Shah’s atelier. They consciously kept the palette neutral, because they wanted to reference the pastel aubergine from the painting above the sofa and bring it into colour story.